Question

[MikeM]

Okay... I am trying to understand the difference between:

Nihongo ga sukoshi wakarimasu.
日本語が少しわかります。

and

Watashi wa Nihongo sukoshi wakarimasu.
私輪日本語少しわかります。

I mean, which one is most common to say and when should I use it? If I am referring to myself, do I say 'Watashi wa' or would it still work to myself if I didn't say 'Watashi wa'

Thanks,
Mike

[Elizabeth]

You don't need "watashi wa" but even if you did it doesn't mean dropping "ga" : "(Watashi wa) Nihongo ga (or maybe "wa" depending on the context) sukoshi wakarimasu."

[beluga]

Originally posted by MikeM
Okay... I am trying to understand the difference between:

Nihongo ga sukoshi wakarimasu.
日本語が少しわかります。

and

Watashi wa Nihongo sukoshi wakarimasu.
私輪日本語少しわかります。

I mean, which one is most common to say and when should I use it? If I am referring to myself, do I say 'Watashi wa' or would it still work to myself if I didn't say 'Watashi wa'

Thanks,
Mike

Like what Elizabeth mentioned, even with the added "私は" you cannot omit the が.

Both sentences has the same meaning except that for the 2nd sentences, you're emphasizing that yourself, like "as for me, I understand a little Japanese".

[mdchachi]

If you're looking for a rule of thumb it's that you rarely say "watashi ha". It's almost always implied.

[Elizabeth]

Originally posted by mdchachi
If you're looking for a rule of thumb it's that you rarely say "watashi ha". It's almost always implied.
Yes, I'd say maybe 70-80% of the time it's left out. You need it mostly when you're making a contrast between yourself and others or steering the conversation back onto yourself.

[MikeM]

Also, I want to say 'See you.'

I believed it was something along the lines of jaamataa but it doesn't seem to be going accordingly anywhere. What is the correct form of this?

[JaPaN_RoX]

it depends if you're saying it to a friend, to your boss/teacher, or to your family, it also depends if you are leaving or if the other is leaving :)

[Exidez]

to friends "jamata" is common as well as "ja ne"

[Elizabeth]

Originally posted by JaPaN_RoX
it also depends if you are leaving or if the other is leaving :)
For goodbye, though, not see you later.

[MikeM]

Ok... another question.

You know how in Japanese if you were Japanese you would say: Watashi wa Suzuki Hiroshi desu. If your name was Hiroshi Suzuki.

If you are not Japanese, is it still Last Name-First name order or does it change if you are American?